Standards: My unit on Electricity and Inventors will include standards from Science, Social Studies, and Literacy.

4th Grade PA Standards for Science and Engineering Practice: 3.2.4.B2, 3.2.4.B3, 3.2.4.B4, 3.4.4.B1, 3.4.4.B2, 3.4.4.B3, 3.4.4.B4, 3.4.4.C1, 3.4.4.C2, 3.4.4.C3, 3.4.4.D2 4th Grade PA Science Assessment Anchors: S4.A.1.1.2, S4.A.2.1.1, S4.A.2.1.2, S4.A.2.1.4, S4.A.3.2.3, S4.C.2.1.1, S4.C.2.1.2, S4.C.2.1.3 ELA Common Core: L.4.4, L.4.6, RI.4.1, RI.4.2, RI.4.3, RI.4.4, RI.4.8, RI.4.9, W.4.2, W.4.7, W.4.9 4th Grade PA English Language Arts Assessment Anchors: E04.B-C.2.1.2, E04.B-C.3.1.1, E04.B-C.3.1.2, E04.B-C.3.1.3, E04.B-V.4.1.1, E04.C.1.2.1, E04.C.1.2.2, E04.C.1.2.3, E04.C.1.2.4, E04.C.1.2.5 NCSS Social Studies Standards: II: b., c., d, f; VIII: a., c.; IX. c.

Curriculum Materials: -Science notebooks -Circuit Building Materials (D-Cell batteries, wire, mini bulbs, battery holder, bulb socket, cardboard) -Smartboard -laptop cart -Foss and STC electricity student guides/texts -informational texts and literature on Edison and Latimer -Trophies Language Arts texts and workbooks -minimal art supplies for drawing circuit diagrams -PSSA Literacy test prep material relating to electricity and invention content

What

Lesson
How

Why

Knowledge of Students and Context: My students have expressed a strong desire to engage in more science. Unfortunately, they are not taught science on a regular, or even monthly, basis due to increased emphasis placed on the high-stakes testing in Literacy and Math. When I hinted that I wanted to teach them about electricity, a few students literally broke into dance. So far, they have participated in a few scientific observation lessons and have completed Science PSSA test prep materials that focused on the scientific method. I want my students to have the opportunity to bring the scientific method to life in this unit. Some of my students (and some parents) have expressed interest in careers that do not require attendance at a 4 year college. While they are only in 4th grade, college is talked about directly and indirectly every day in our classroom. The students sit in groups of 4 and 5, and each group is named after a university. I want my students to know that skilled labor careers, that do not require 4 year degrees, exist. Society depends on electricians. Not to mention, they are paid fairly well too.

Teaching Methods: -KWL about electricity, which will lead into basics of safety rules -Think/pair/share and then whole class discussion of what people did without electricity -Data collection and graphing of ways we use electricity -Read aloud of Timeless Thomas and discussion of his inventions and character traits that made him successful -Follow evolution of improvements made on soundrecording devices -Shared reading of 2+ informational texts on the same topic (eg. Edison/Latimer) to discover what kinds of details can be found in different kinds of sources -Shared reading and test prep of The Kids Invention Book -Hands on investigations of circuit and flashlight building (working in pairs) in week 1. Students will record predictions, observations, successes, and what did not work. -Diagramming circuits -Student choice for electricity-related investigation in week 2

Theories of Teaching and Learning:

Educational Philosophy and Beliefs -Science is a cornerstone of 21st century education. It is an enterprise that can improve quality of life on a global scale. It is a resource for becoming a critical and engaged citizen in a democracy. It provides a foundation for the development of language, logic, and problem-solving skills that can be employed in all academic subjects. Science will be a lifelong vocation for some students. -Because the construction of scientific conceptual knowledge moves from concrete to abstract understandings, science learning should be hands-on. -Direct, practical experience preceded by a question/prediction that has no clear right/wrong answer at outset of will give all students, even those with learning disabilities, various entry points into the lesson

-Brophy: choice leads to motivation. Allowing my students to answer their own researchable question will give them ownership and power over the content -allowing students to predict and experiment without constant teacher directives will help strengthen students metacognition abilities -National Research Councils How People Learn says that the meaning of knowing has shifted from being able to remember and repeat information to being able to find and use it. Investigations call for the kinds of meta-cognition skills are necessary for developing deep understanding of content matter like Electricity.