Incomplete Dominance Lesson- Observation Assignment 2

Lesson Plan Template for SED 406 and 407 part 1 = planning
Teacher Candidate: Alisha Iafrate	Subject: Biology/ Genetics	Grade(s): 9
Name of Lesson: Incomplete Dominance
Learning Objective(s), including Bloom's taxonomic level: (label A, B, C, *D) *optional ·       Students will work in small groups to solve genetics word problems to the best of their ability. ·       Working in small groups, students will work to the best of their ability to create punnett squares based on information given in the genetics word problems. ·       Students will work to the best of their ability to calculate probability in the form of ratios and percentages, reflecting the odds that offspring will inherit certain traits.
Student Standards (GSE or/GLE or Common Core-in draft for math/science- list which): HS-LS3-3. Apply concepts of statistics and probability to explain the variation and distribution of expressed traits in a population.
Teacher Standards (professional society and/or NETS  and RIPTS-list which): Standard 5: Teachers create instructional opportunities to encourage all students’ development of critical thinking, problem solving, performance skills, and literacy across content areas. Specifically 5.5: use tasks that engage students in exploration, discovery, and hands-on activities
Rationale: Why this lesson? How does it fit into the curriculum and context? Is this the introduction, conclusion, or somewhere in the middle of the unit of instruction? The class has already finished part of the genetics unit regarding complete dominance and co-dominance. The next topic of discussion is incomplete dominance. Students are required to have a general understanding of heredity, so this fits into the curriculum. This lesson in particular lies in the middle of the unit of instruction.
Materials/Resources needed, including technology: ·       PowerPoint projected onto the Smart Board ·       Genetics word problems worksheet
Accommodations and Modifications (special needs and learning styles) For example:  Dr. Kraus has poor vision and needs written material to be at least 12 pt. font.  He also reads two grade levels higher and needs appropriate reading material.  Jack has poor hearing, but he can sit where he feels comfortable. If accommodations are needed he will ask.
What content resources support this knowledge base? (list at least 2) ·       Internet ·       Student Biology textbook- section on heredity and genetics
How confident are you in this topic as you start this lesson? Confident- I think the students will enjoy the connection to superheroes found in the worksheet, while learning about genetics at the same time.

Lesson Plan Template

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part 2 = action    

Bell-ringer: How will you get students seated, and ready for academic work? (without your voice) A DO-NOW is posted on the front board at the beginning of each and every class. Students know that they are expected to come in, sit down and complete the do-now for credit.
Anticipatory Set: How will you introduce the material, interest the students, show relevance of topic? Introduce the material by relating it to what students already know from the previous lessons in the unit. Let them know that we will be completing a worksheet involving the heredity of famous superheroes! (This will grab their attention and get them interested).
Phase (change as needed)/Time	Teacher action	Student action	Questions/Assessments
e.g. Intro/5 min.	Go over the DO-NOW and explain how it relates to today’s lesson on incomplete dominance. Informally assess students on their knowledge of information from last class.	Participate and answer questions- fix any wrong answers on the DO-NOW.	Review: What is the definition of complete dominance? What is the example we spoke about in class the other day regarding complete dominance? Does anyone have questions before we move on?
Presentation or Open-ended/	PowerPoint on incomplete dominance and its relationship with other forms of dominance (co-dominance and complete dominance-which they have already learned).	Listen and ask questions if something is unclear.	What is the first step when we decide to create a punnett square? What would the genotypes of the parents be? Who gets the letter? Dominant or recessive? What is the dad, heterozygous or homozygous? (etc).
Guided Practice or Convergent/	Both guided and individual practice- let them try to figure it out on their own. Go around and see how students are doing then come back together as a class and go over problems that students seemed to struggle with.	Work in small groups to complete genetics word problems.	Walking around and observing the students will act as an assessment. It will also give me an idea of how well they are beginning to understand the material.
Closing/	·       Overview- difference between what we have already learned and the new information. ·       Review important terms with students	Listen and ask questions if they don’t understand something	Does anyone have any questions? Do we feel comfortable with the material?
HW/Application/	N/A	N/A	N/A
Review and Reflection: How will you review for students who are still having trouble? Offer them one-on-one help after school and provide them with practice worksheets. After they have had some practice, review the beginning of next class to make sure they understand before moving on.
Extension: What will you offer to students who have mastered this? Students who have mastered the material can help those that do not understand. They can work on other science related work if necessary.
*Closing: How will you review the material, and draw conclusions? (may be listed above) I will ask the students questions about what they have learned to try and figure out where they stand with the material. They will be reviewing the material constantly. The information tends to find its way into the DO-NOW, that way students realize it is important and something they should know.

	Lesson Plan Template pt. 3 = reflection
WHAT?	What went well?   Students definitely learned something. They enjoyed the connection to superheroes and they worked together to help each other. When they needed help, they weren’t afraid to ask.
	What area of weakness needs addressing? Number 2 was a little difficult because of the wording. I think I need to pay close attention as to how certain things can be misunderstood. With a little clarity and guidance they were able to understand the problem.
	Which objectives were met? What is the evidence? Every objective was met. Students were able to successfully complete the genetics word problems, they understood the correct way to create a punnett square, and figured out the probabilities and ratios regarding offspring of the crossed individuals.
	Which students did not meet objectives? Although it was difficult to get students working at first, all of them completed some of the worksheet, which means that they were thinking about the information.
	Was time managed appropriately? Yes, students were able to complete the worksheet and we were able to have a discussion and relate it back to what we learned. There was about a 5 minute timeframe at the end that students had to themselves.
	Did any teacher mannerisms or actions detract from the lesson? No, I don’t think any mannerisms or actions detracted from the lesson.
	*What were the strengths and weaknesses of classroom management? The classroom is pretty laid back, so sometimes students take advantage of this. Many students are easily distracted. However, there was always something for them to do; it was just a matter of getting them to do it. There were really no weaknesses. For the most part, the classroom was managed well. When students were off topic, they were guided through the next problem, and the guidance made them want to participate.
SO WHAT?	Was the lesson engaging? It was engaging, but I probably should have done something a little MORE engaging. They liked the connection to superheroes. If I had done a mini lab with transparent colored chips, they would have been able to put one on top of the other and hold it up to the light. For certain colors, they would notice a mixture-which would be a good way to introduce the idea of incomplete dominance.
	*What did I learn from my peer observation (address at least one aspect)   I learned that students are going to test my patience and that sticking to rules and implementing them constantly is key to successful classroom management. After speaking with the teacher, I asked him, “if there is one thing you could tell yourself about your first year teaching, what would it be?” He said that he would tell himself not to let the students’ behaviors make you feel like you failed as a teacher. He often took it personally when a student would misbehave in class and he was unable to stop him/her. Odds are, the student is acting up in all of his/her classes. This is something else I’ve learned.
NOW WHAT?	How will this experience influence your professional identity?  I will go into it knowing that even the more experienced teachers have their bad days. Not one teacher is perfect. These little failures along the way will make me strive to be a better teacher.
	How will it influence how you plan/teach/assess in the future? I think this experience has changed my mindset a bit. I hope to take what I have learned in my observations and work on applying these ideas into my own classroom. I like how Mr. D is able to be a laid back teacher and the students respect him for that. I think I will take the same approach, but make sure students are grounded and understand what is expected of them. If, of course, they are unable to comply with rules, consequences will result.