Holly Keeper

Content Area: Science

Teaching Model: Presentation/Advance Organizer
A study of macromolecules, vitamins, and minerals and
where they are found in the human diet
I Description of Method
1. Instructional Method: The presentation and advance organizer model for teaching is a system
created by David Ausubel to make presentations more effective for learners. Ausubels research
and development of advance organizers was based on his belief that a persons existing
cognitive structure is the foremost factor determining whether new material will be meaningful
and how well it can be acquired and retained. With this in mind, this model is something I will
use when introducing a new topic or unit to students. If students do not have a large level of
familiarity with the unit information to come, I am a strong advocate for the development of an
overall picture of how concepts relate and to build a basic knowledge before exploring more
complicated ideas.
2. Topic & Rational: The topic of this lesson includes a basic study of macromolecules, vitamins,
and minerals and where they may be found in food. The interdisciplinary unit of study involving
this lesson includes an extensive look at the issues related to health and nutrition in the United
States, so this lesson will serve to provide the scientific basis of how our bodies physically access
and utilize energy provided by food. I chose the presentation and advance organizers model of
teaching for this lesson because it will be an introduction to the world of nutrition for many
students who may have little to no knowledge of the scientific makeup of food. Many other
topics within the realm of science could be taught effectively using this model including the
theory of natural selection or redox reactions in chemistry for example.
3. Features & Purpose: The principal purposes of this method are to improve the presentational
methods of teaching, and to provide students with the opportunity to master the material being
presented. The model involves providing concepts and principles to students directly while
strengthening students cognitive structures. Providing students with a carefully-developed
advance organizer at the beginning of the lesson and walking through it together will help them
to make meaning of the material to be presented by interrelating it with previously learned
knowledge.
4. Pros & Cons: One advantage of this strategy includes providing the students with a concrete
piece of material that they can refer to in future study of the material. A second advantage is
that, when created thoughtfully, advance organizers allow the presentational method of
teaching to be more meaningful and effective for the learners. Two possible disadvantages of
this method are that each student will likely have a different level of background knowledge of
the material, making it difficult for the teacher to know exactly what should be included on the
organizer, and secondly, student voices may go largely unheard in such a lesson.

II Lesson Plan
1. Learning objectives
a. Content Objective: State science standard 2.1. - Students will be able to explain and
illustrate with examples how matter tends to be cycled within an ecosystem, while
energy is transformed and eventually exits an ecosystem by completing the ticket out
the door worksheet.
b. Literacy Objective: Twenty-first century literacy standard 1.1.2 - Students will be able to
write clearly and coherently for a variety of purposes and audiences by providing a
written response two open-ended questions about human diet and nutrition.
c. Democracy Objective: Twenty-first century democracy standard 2.9.1 - Students will be
able to analyze and discuss the presented concepts with others by working with a
partner to complete the ticket out the door worksheet.
2. Materials used
a. Hierarchical advanced organizer titled: The essential macromolecules, vitamins and
minerals in the human diet
b. PowerPoint presentation
c. Ticket out the door worksheet with review questions and open-ended questions
d. Instruction sheet for homework outside of class: Students will find one food label at
home and identify the specific types of macromolecules, vitamins and minerals found in
that food. They will create a visual representation of the composition of that food to
present to the class during the next lesson.
3. Model chosen and why
a. The presentation and advanced organizer model was chosen to allow students who may
have a limited familiarity with the topic to build upon existing knowledge and organize
the newly presented information about the science of nutrition.
4. Key terms
a. Protein, lipid, carbohydrate, nucleic acids, monomers, polymers, enzymes, digestion,
catabolism, metabolism, energy, matter, nutrition, diet
5. Assessment
a. Students will work in pairs using the information from the advance organizer and the
presentation to fill out a worksheet and will individually answer two open-ended
questions involving their understanding of the role of macromolecules, vitamins, and
minerals in the human diet. Students will hand the worksheet in as a ticket out the door.