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WHO BORROWED MR. BEAR?

LHS GEMS PROJECT
By Priscilla Young & Javier Arteta
Description
Concept Map
Assessment Plan
Rubric
Calendar
Lesson Plan 1
Lesson Plan 2
Orientation Video
Elementary Science Methods Home


Session 1 "Scene of the Crime" 5E Lesson Plan

 

AUTHORS’ NAMES: Priscilla Young

TITLE OF THE LESSON: Mr. Bear Mystery Session 1: Scene of the Crime

TECHNOLOGY LESSON :  No

DATE OF LESSON: 9/27/2007

LENGTH OF LESSON: 50 minutes

NAME OF COURSE: 3rd grade Science

SOURCE OF THE LESSON: GEMS Mystery Festival  “Mr. Bear Mystery” pgs. 21-30

T.E.K.S. ADDRESSED:

3.2A -  plan and implement descriptive investigations including asking well-defined questions, formulating testable hypothesis, and selecting and using equipment and technology; 

3.2B ­ collect information by observing and measuring;

3.2C ­ analyze and interpret information to construct reasonable explanations from direct and indirect evidence;

3.2D ­ communicate valid conclusions;

3.2E ­ construct simple graphs, tables and charts to organize, examine and evaluate information

CONCEPT STATEMENT: Making a distinction between evidence and guesses or hunches is essential in solving mysteries.  Evidence is facts and information gathered through data observed, experienced, or inferred.  Guesses or hunches are based on logical reasoning.  Students should recognize that careful observation and the recording of data is important in science investigations.

PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVES: Students will be able to:

·         define what a mystery is.

·         explain how to solve a mystery.

·         observe the crime scene and identify clues

·          record clues and evidence by creating a map.

RESOURCES:

Items needed for teacher:

5 stuffed animals                                                         1 paintbrush

1 paint container                                                         1 clear plastic cup

3 plastic cups                                                              1 box of baking soda

1 cup for mixing baking soda and water                     2 empty cola cansº cup cola

1 ice cube tray                                                             2 white paper towels

red and green food coloring                                        1 small container w/lid(film canisters)

10 inches of yarn                                                          1 blank piece of paper

1 long piece of string to barricade crime scene          1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp.1 ý tsp. sugar                                                   3 stir sticks

a sprinkle of cornstarch                                               2 colognes or perfumes

3 or 4 seven foot lengths of white butcher paper        1 roll clear tape to attach footprints

copies of footprints pages 211-231                              1 marking pen for drawing crime scene map

Items needed for students: pencils and copies of Suspect Footprint Sheet pg. 31

 

SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS: No significant safety concerns

SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIALS, HANDOUTS: 16 copies of Suspect Footprint Sheet pg. 31

 

Engagement

 

Time: __8minutes______

What the Teacher Will Do

 

Lay out a large crime scene on floor in class; rope it off so that students cannot disturb items that are part of crime scene.

 

Tell the students that today we will start the process of solving a mystery.

Probing Questions

  1. What do you think this could be?
  2. What do you think a mystery is?
  3. Who do you think solves mysteries?
  4. How do you think they solve mysteries?

Student Responses

Potential Misconceptions

  1. A new game, a crime scene.
  2. When someone does something bad. When people don’t know who did something
  3. Police men. Firefighter
  4. Collect clues

 

 

 

 

Exploration

 

Time: _10minutes_______

What the Teacher Will Do

  1. Hold up a tape dispenser and ask students to describe in detail.
  2.  Use guided direction to encourage careful observation.  Tell the students that you want them to be just as observant looking at the crime scene as they were looking at the tape dispenser.
  3. Have students go to crime scene and look carefully at crime scene.

Probing Questions

  1. What does this look like? What is different about it? What is it used for? What color is it? Do you think it is heavy?
  2. Do you see anything that is the same? Do you see anything that is the same color?
  3. What type of things are at the crime scene? Is there anything that looks like it shouldn’t be there?
  4. Do you think that the location of the items is important?

Student Responses

Potential Misconceptions

  1. A tape holder; used to hold papers down
  2. Soda cans; thread;
  3. Toys; soda;

 

 

 

 

Explanation

 

Time: _15minutes_______

What the Teacher Will Do

  1. Gather students in a group on the floor.
  2. Ask ??? about what they observed?
  3. Record observations on a crime scene map

Probing Questions

  1. What do you think is important to remember? What should we put on our crime scene map? Do you remember everything you saw?
  2. What do you think happened at the crime scene?

Student Responses

Potential Misconception

Students may assume the crime scene is about soda. May remember a number of stuffed animals. May think someone spilled something black on floor.

 

 

 

 

 

Elaboration

 

Time: __10minutes______

What the Teacher Will Do

Ask students to apply skill of observation  and clues to situations at home, on playground, during sports games.

Probing Questions

  1. Have you ever broken a dish and didn’t tell your parents? Did they know who broke it? How did they figure out who broke it?
  2. Have you ever lost or misplaced a toy? How did you go about finding it?

Student Responses

Potential Misconceptions

Possible answers: Parents never found out I broke dish. Sibling tattled.

 

Found toy by trying to remember where I left it. Went to last place I had it.

 

 

 

 

Evaluation

 

Time: 7minutes

What the Teacher Will Do

Praise students for remembering so many things about crime scene.

Encourage guesses about the mystery based on what they saw.

Inform students that next session will introduce more information that they can use to solve the mystery

Have students replicate a crime scene map of their own.

Probing Questions

  1. Based on what we saw at the crime scene, and our crime scene map what do you think happened?
  2. Can anyone think of anything else important that we should put on our crime scene map?

Student Responses

Potential Misconceptions

Students responses will be similar as those for explanation portion of lesson plan.