This week was our last time going to Brigham and I taught a small group lesson about the topic of engineering. I taught this lesson with Ashlyn, Annie, and Kelcey and we decided to focus on the kindergarten engineering standard: K-2-ETS1-1. Ask questions, make observations, and gather information about a situation people want to change to define a simple problem that can be solved through the development of a new or improved object or tool. At first we brainstormed some ideas, then came up with the idea of teaching the students about bridges.
We
brought many different kinds of small materials for the students to use to
build bridges. We also read a book about bridges that had a lot of detailed
pictures that showed many examples of all kinds of bridges. We started by
presenting the students with a problem of not being able to get across water. We
asked the students what we needed in order to get across the water or what they
thought they could build that would help. The students interacted quickly and
gave us many ideas. One student told us a bridge and that he has seen one
before. The students had many conversations with each other and us while they
were building their bridges and drawing pictures of the bridge. I thought that
each student shared meaningful ideas such as saying, “We need a bridge because
if we don’t our car will sink in the water.” I also felt like that the students
were starting to understand what kind of materials would work the best while they
were experimenting with each material. They tried things such as paper and
found out that paper would not be sturdy enough to get their cars across the
river.
I
knew this class consisted of English Language Learners, so I was expecting
there to maybe be difficulty with understanding the students at times. The
students in our group were all fluent in English and I did not have trouble
understanding them throughout the whole lesson. Therefore, this last visit to
Brigham I did not really work towards the ELL aspect of my goal because I felt
like it did not apply at the time. At times I felt as if it were difficult to
control the students because I was not familiar with them and they did not know
me very well. There was one student that talked frequently and sometimes got
off task and it was hard for me at times to get him to do what he was supposed
to be doing. Overall, I think the lesson went well and we met the objective
that we wanted to meet. The students interacted and did what we asked them to
even though at times it felt a little chaotic. I think it would have been more
comfortable and maybe have gone a little better if we would have known the
students and their strengths and interests more. Knowing the students a little
better might have given us the opportunity to make the lesson more complex or
know what materials would work best for the group of students.
Exceeds- Added pictures from lesson
