Name: Katie Plucker

Inquiry Based Science Lesson Topic: Weather

Presentation Week: Week 15

Grade Level: Grade 3

Reflection: Inquiry Based Science Lesson

Recording
After viewing the recording of your Inquiry Based science lesson presentation, evaluate your performance in the following sections.
Write a brief narrative in each of the comment boxes and then submit.
Category

Description

Developmentally
appropriate

-Does your Inquiry

Based Science Lesson
content align with the
CCSS for the
appropriate grade level?
-Is your Inquiry Based
Science lesson content
and experiment
developmentally
appropriate for grade
level stated?

Criteria

-Does your Inquiry

Based Science Lesson
fully demonstrate
connection to topic
taught?

Narrative (e.g. areas of strength, areas needing improvement, etc.)

There are no science standards under the PA Core Standards so Jess and I chose a Next Generation
Science Standard that we found developmentally appropriate and the closest related to our topic of
weather. I believe that the standard we chose for third grade does align with our Inquiry Based Science
Lesson content. Our Inquiry Based Science Lesson content and experiment is also developmentally
appropriate for third grade. Our content included weather and its key components. We had three
experiments, all of which were appropriate for third graders. The first was making a cloud in the
microwave and having the students explain what type of cloud (cirrus, cumulous, or stratus) it looks like
and explain the characteristics of this cloud. The second experiment was making a cloud in a bottle to
explain to students the components that make up a cloud and that clouds are seen when these
components experience low, not high, pressure. The final experiment consisted of students creating their
own barometer.
Yes, I believe our Inquiry Based Science Lesson fully demonstrated the connection to our topic of
weather. We engaged the students and allowed them to explore as much as we could with the material.
For example, when discussing evaporation, we gave the students hand sanitizer to allow them to
experience a hands on demonstration of the concept of evaporation. Our experiments were also closely
connected to the information we were teaching. We taught students about clouds and then did two group
experiments relating to clouds to further the students understanding of the concept. We also had the
students conduct individual experiments where they made their own barometers after we discussed and
taught them about barometers.

Name: Katie Plucker

Inquiry Based Science Lesson Topic: Weather

Delivery

Do you deliver the

lesson clearly, at a good
rate, volume and speed?
Do you hear yourself
continually saying:
Um? Like? Gonna?
etc

Presentation Week: Week 15

Grade Level: Grade 3

I think we delivered our lesson clearly. Some of the material was somewhat difficult to understand but I
think we did as best we could at explaining it. I think we could a used a little improvement in that area. I
also think we delivered the lesson at a good rate. We were not too fast as to overwhelm the students but
I do not think we went too slowly either as if to bore the students or lose their attention. Our rate was a
happy medium. I also think we articulated and projected our voices well. We kept gonna, like, and
um to a minimum and corrected ourselves if we did say those words.

Content

-Do you show a deep

understanding and
working knowledge of
the presentation topic or
is more
reading/research needed
on your part?

Personally, I had some understanding of most of the material that we taught but there were some
concepts that were somewhat difficult to understand; therefore, I did not have a deep understanding of
the content in its entirety. I think more research about several topics was needed, especially if I were to
teach this lesson to actual third graders. I believe that in order for the students to have a sound
understanding of the topic, the teacher must first have a deep understanding of it.

Experiment

Does your experiment

completely follow the
6E Model by allowing
students to Engage,

Yes, I believe all three of our experiments followed the 6E model. Both of our cloud experiments, the
microwave cloud and the cloud in a bottle, allowed the students to be engaged, although one more than
the other. I made a mistake by not passing around the cloud in the bottle so that students were able to be

Name: Katie Plucker

Inquiry Based Science Lesson Topic: Weather
Explore, Explain,
Elaborate, and Evaluate
throughout the hands
on activity?

Engagement

Self/Peer Review

-Does your Inquiry

Based Science Lesson
engage all types of
learners (i.e.
kinesthetic, auditory,
and visual learners?)
-Do your classmates
appear interested and
motivated in your
Inquiry Based Science
Lesson and its
materials?
Were your classmates
peer review
submissions similar to
how well you believed
you did when
presenting your Inquiry
based lesson and
experiment?
Was there something
that your classmates
pointed out, that you

Presentation Week: Week 15

Grade Level: Grade 3

fully engaged and connect. I would make sure to pass the bottle around if I were to redo this lesson.
Both experiments also allowed the students to explore and explain by completing a worksheet on the
experiments. On the worksheet I had for my experiment on a cloud in a bottle, I had a question that
prompted students to elaborate on the experiment and its concept. Our evaluation of the experiment and
the students knowledge of the concepts they taught was accomplished through the worksheets and
teacher questioning. The individual experiment of making a barometer engaged students by learning
about barometers. The students explored by making their own. The explain, elaborate, and evaluate part
of the experiment would be done for homework over a course of several nights and also in class for the
next few days.
I believe our Inquiry Based Science Lesson engaged all types of learners. It engaged kinesthetic learners
by doing hands on activities and experiments. It engaged auditory learners by orally teaching all of the
information. It engaged visual learners as well by having the information on a PowerPoint and
providing a vocabulary sheet which included pictures. Our classmates did not seem excited and
enthused about the actual information but I understand because the information was not too interesting.
On the other hand, when it came to the experiments, our classmates seemed very interested and
motivated, which is why Jess and I made sure to include several experiments so that we could keep the
students attention.

My classmates critiques were helpful. They thought that the two experiments happening at once and
then switching groups was a good idea. They also liked the experiments that we did. It was pointed out
to me that during my experiment, the cloud in a bottle, I should have passed the bottle around to the
students and I could not agree more. For some reason, it did not click in my head to do that; I think I
was too focused on explaining the experiment. If we were to deliver the lesson again, I would do a few
things differently. I would do further research of the topic to ensure I had a solid understanding of the
information. I would also pass the cloud in the bottle around to the students during the experiment. This
lesson has taught me that as a teacher, I must be fully knowledgeable of all of the material I plan to
teach. Even if I think I have a good sense of the content, I need to go through all of the information and
make sure nothing needs further clarification.

Name: Katie Plucker

Inquiry Based Science Lesson Topic: Weather
did not know you were
doing, throughout the
lesson?
If delivering the lesson
again, what would you
do differently?
How will you grow
from this experiment?

Presentation Week: Week 15

Grade Level: Grade 3