LEGO Lessons
High Point University provided me with a unique experience with LEGO Education products. My professor, Shirley Disseler, is the current LEGO Education Curriculum Developer and has established an incredible relationship with LEGO for her students! I had the opportunity to be trained in all LEGO Education products and conduct several lesson plans with students from local elementary schools.
LEGO WeDo
In this lesson, students construct a LEGO WeDo Alligator, which leads into a discussion of the life cycle of an alligator.
LEGO Simple Machines
In this lesson, students construct a LEGO Simple Machines Catapult and compete for the longest shot. The instructional component covers types of levers and momentum.
Science Lessons
In our Science and Mathematics Methods block, I gained a ton of hands-on experience with science concepts and how to present them in a cool and engaging way! The following lessons display some of that creativity which I love to bring into the classroom!
Cabbage Juice PH Scale
Students at a local elementary school were excited when they had the opportunity to use PH probes to better understand the PH levels of liquids that are in their every day life. Using color-changing cabbage juice, students watched in awe as water, soda, juice, and hand sanitizer transformed colors before their eyes!
Particle Behavior in Solids, Liquids, and Gases
In this mini-lesson, students use popcorn in sealed plastic cups to model the particle behavior in solids, liquids, and gases.
Weathering and Erosion
In this two-day lesson, students use technology to record erosion on a small scale.
Vitamins and Minerals
A short mini-lesson to help students distinguish between foods that are rich in vitamins and nutrients and foods that are not.
Math Lessons
Our Science & Math Methods block also gave me a unique perspective on mathematics strategies that I had never used before. With this new knowledge, I constructed several lessons that showed students alternative strategies to approach problems.
Equivalent Fraction Construction
This mini-lesson challenged students to identify equal parts of a whole and model equivalent fractions using fraction circles.
Geometric Measurement
Students will engage in an angles "scavenger hunt," in which they will work to find angles within the classroom. After some direct instruction, students will return to the angles that they've found and classify them as right, acute, straight, or obtuse.
Fractions
In this fractions mini-lesson, students work with fraction challenge cards to complete challenges using patterned blocks. They must find and explain equivalent fractions.
