EDUC 474 LESSON PLAN 

Class Description:  
The learners are in a th​
​ grade class at iLEAD Antelope Valley Charter School. The 
charter school focuses on social emotional development, therefore many of the learners 
have social emotional needs that require extra support. Most learners in the class are at least 
one grade level below in all academic subjects. One focus student is a learner with Autism. 
He performs at grade level in academic subjects, but struggles socially. The second focus 
learner is a learner with ADHD. He is one grade level below in academic subjects, and obtains 
support from a speech pathologist. This lesson focuses on real world application of building 
structures and natural disasters. The learners will use the scientific method to discover which 
type of building structure will do better in the case of an Earthquake. 

Candidate Name: ​Team A: Alicia Irwin, Kristen Lindquist,  Date: ​ / /  

Lauren Stratton, Rhonna Horney 
Lesson Title:​ Earthquake Proof   Grade Level:​ th 
Type of Lesson: ​Inquiry 
 
Content Area(s):​ Science  
 
Subject Matter: ​Earthquakes 
 
Content Standard: 
4-ESS3-2 ​Generate and compare multiple solutions to reduce the impacts of natural 
Earth processes on humans. 
 
ELD Standard: 
ELD. PI. . Br. 
Contribute to class, group, and partner discussions, including sustained dialogue, by 
following turn-taking rules, asking relevant questions, affirming others, adding 
relevant information, building on responses, and providing useful feedback.  
 
 
Lesson Objective(s): 
The students will be able to generate and compare multiple solutions to reduce the 
impact of Earth processes, specifically earthquakes, on bridges and the impact they 
have on humans.  
 
Driving Question: 
How can you design a stable bridge with the given materials and compare the 
impacts of earthquakes on each bridge? 
 
Assessment (formative & summative): 
Formative: ​The students will complete the first question on the Earthquake Data 
Chart by answering:  
 ● What structure do you believe will remain standing the longest? And Why. 
The students will also fill in the Data chart on the worksheet during the lesson.  
 
Summative: ​Based on the student’s research (rotating tables with bridges created 
with different materials) the students will write which bridge was the least earthquake 
proof and which bridge fared the best against an earthquake supporting their opinion 
based on their observations.  
 
Assessment Modifications (2 focus students): 
 
ADHD: ​This student​ f​ idgets in class​. ​This lesson will give this student the opportunity 
to work with his hands and rotate from different stations that will give him the chance 
to move in the classroom which will help keep his attention and interest on the 
lesson. 
 
Autism: ​This student will have the opportunity to work in a small group with his lab 
students who he has been working with all year. This lesson with give him the chance 
to move around the classroom and use his hands to answer the questions on the 
Earthquake Data Chart worksheet. Noise canceling headphones will be available for 
use by this student.  
 
 
INTO ​(tapping prior knowledge, hooking students’ interest, sharing driving question) 
● Ask students what they can remember about earthquakes (how they happen, 
terms, etc.) from the previous lesson. Provide students with the KWL graphic 
organizer to write down what they know about the topic in the “Know” section 
and what they want to learn in the “Want to Know?” section.   
● The students are encouraged to discuss their thoughts and feeling about 
Earthquakes based on previous knowledge or conversations they have had 
with their parents (For example: Teacher “My mother talks about the 
Earthquake in , right after I was born…..”).  
● Play the “Earthquakes ” youtube video for the class: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e ho z yyo  
● Discuss and explain the driving question and the Earthquake Data Chart. 
● Place students into their groups to discuss and create their Hypothesis to write 
in their data chart.  
● The students will also write what they want to learn in their KWL chart.  
 
 
THROUGH ​(cycle of inquiry, student research and discussion, formative assessment) 
● The students will watch:​https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwapuC -VlA   
● The students will be separated into their science lab groups and each group 
will rotate to four different stations.  
● At each station the students will design a bridge using the materials from that 
station.   
 ● Each student will bring their data chart. 
● Station Materials: 
○ Every Station-  
■ Cutting board 
■ Textbook  
■ Blue paper river 
■ Stopwatches for teacher use  
○ Individual Stations- 
■ Station : Marshmallows and toothpicks 
■ Station : Legos 
■ Station : Index cards and tape 
■ Station : Straws and Swedish Fish 
● Students will write what they learned from the activity and video in the 
“Learned” section of their KWL graphic organizer.  
 
 
BEYOND ​(application of new learning, lesson closure, summative assessment) 
● Students will complete the bottom have of the Earthquake Data Chart 
worksheet by answering these three questions:   
. Which structure sustained the least amount of damage from 
Earthquake? 
. Which structure sustained the most damage from the Earthquake? 
. In real life, what are some things to keep in mind when building bridges 
in Earthquake zones?  
. What can you infer about the bridge you built? 
● The students will cut off the bottom half of the Earthquake Data Chart 
worksheet and turn it in as an exit ticket at the end of the lesson. 
● Students will also fill in what they know in the KWL chart, which they will keep 
in the science notebook.  
 
 
 
   
 
 

 
 
 
 
Name:______________________________

Earthquake Data Chart

Hypotheses/Predictions:​ What bridge do you believe will remain standing
the longest? And Why.
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________

Structure Time Lasted Time Lasted

Earthquake #1 Earthquake #2

Legos

Notecards and Tape

Marshmallows and
toothpicks

Swedish Fish and

Straws
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Name:_______________________
Experiment Analysis:​ Which bridge sustained the least amount of
damage from Earthquake?______________________________________
Which bridge sustained the most damage from the Earthquake?
____________________________________________________________
In real life, what are some things to keep in mind when building bridges in
Earthquake zones?
____________________________________________________________
What can you infer about the bridges you built?
____________________________________________________________ 
 
  
 
 
 

   
 References  

Kagan, S. ( ). ​Kagan Cooperative Learning.​ San Clemente, CA: Kagan Publishing.   

National Geographic. ( ). ​Earthquakes 101​. Retrieved from: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e ho z yyo  

Science Buddies. ( ). ​Steps of the scientific method.​ Retrieved from: 

https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/science-     

fair/steps-of-the-scientific-method?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI ubhq 

L i gIVjDZpCh DegzcEAAYASAAEgJmWvD_BwE   

SpringvallyMiddle. ( ). Toothpick Tower Earthquake Project Springvalley Middle School 

Section - Part . Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwapuC -VlA