Sample lesson plan which utilizes video for pre-teaching

Incorporating video into a lesson plan is an excellent way to reach visual learners.

A fun and exciting video such as this study jams cartoon can be an excellent resource for teachers to help activate prior knowledge and get the students excited and motivated to learn about their new topic.

Videos such as the Study Jams cartoons incorporate fun relatable young characters.

Which helps the students contextualize the material they will be learning inside the classroom, without leaving their seats. 

Charts and diagrams can come to life in a video this screen shots shows a part of the video where a moving diagram helps children visualize the movement of molecules.

After watching the video. The students will have preexisting knowledge of the material and the lesson almost becomes review of the video, allowing the material to sink in further. 

The only downside to this particular video is that I could not find a way to embed it into this blog. Unfortunately it has to be linked to an external site. The site is safe and very accessible so teachers shouldn't have any trouble accessing it.

Note: that this video is paired with an online quiz that the teacher could also make great use of as a study tool.

Lesson Topic: Properties of Matter                                                         Day: 1 of 8

Date: Thursday February 5^th 2013

Overall Expectation(s): ·      3.1  identify matter as everything that has mass and occupies space ·      3.2  identify properties of solids, liquids, and gases
Success Criteria: ·          I know that there are three states of matter Solid’s Liquids and Gasses and I can give and example of each. ·          I know that a state of which matter is in depends on how fast the matter particles are moving. ·          I know that solids have definite volume and hold their shape, liquids have definite volume but take the shape of their container, and that gases have no definite volume and take the volume and shape of their container. ·          I understand that heat/energy can create changes in matter.
Materials/Resources (Teacher and student) Smartboard Study James video for pre- teaching Worksheet with space for students to fill in learning goal, success criteria is included with checkmark for them to check off when studying. A chart is included with three columns for Solids, Liquids, Gases; the students will fill in the material. Definitions list		Assessment/Evaluation: (Tools/strategies) Tool: Checklist to see completed work. Are the students able to identify the three states of matter? Can the students identify the properties of each state of matter? Using water as an example, can the student explain howwater can change states from solid liquid and gas?
Lesson Sequence: Beginning/States of Matter : Use the Study jams video to open the lesson. This will help activate the children’s prior knowledge. It will put the forthcoming information into context and help them gain perspective on what is to come. Discuss video openly before handing out worksheet: What did we learn What are the three states of matter? What state was the water in when it was water (Liquid), ice (solid), and gas (vapour)? What made the water change between these states (heat)? Now we begin the lesson with our learning goal, (to be copied onto handout): We will learn about three states of matter, solids, liquids, and be able to identify the properties of each. Students will copy the learning goal onto a worksheet and the success criteria will be printed out for them on the same worksheet. We will read the success criteria at the end and make sure that we can answer yes and check off the list. Next, ask the students to raise their hands and name an example for each state of matter and include this in their chart. Say, “Now lets look around can we find examples of each state for our chart?” Middle/Properties of Matter:  What does it mean when we ask what are the properties of matter? characteristics, traits, features, appearances etc. So what we are looking for is: what makes matter a solid, liquid or gas? Ask this question “Can we remember the video, when matter is a solid are the particles close together or far apart?” “What about a liquid?” “ a Gas?” When we talk about the volume of something what are we talking about? We’re talking about the amount of space that the matter takes up. Bring out the water, ice and spray bottle. Notice the water in the water bottle what shape does it have, The shape of the water bottle. Now if we take the water and pour it into a bowl, (do this) what shape does it have now, the shape of the bowl? What about it’s volume, (the amount of space it takes up in the universe) has that changed no it still take up the same amount of space it’s only changed it’s shape, (demonstrate the same process with the ice) note that though it doesn’t take up any more or less space than before, (volume) the shape still stays the same. With the spray bottle we want to note that the vapour has no definite volume, (set amount of space it takes up) the particles might be closer together and we can see them or they may be so far apart that they disappear. And if the vapour is contained then it will take the shape of it’s container but only if it is contained and because the particles are so far apart they are hard to contain. Closure/Setting up for the next lesson on physical and chemical changes: What do we notice happens when we pick up the ice? It changes form and becomes liquid. But why? Look at it on a microscopic level. The heat from our body creates energy and causes those particles to start to speed up and move around faster and faster. Now if we were to use something even warmer like fire. What would happen? The water would become steam and rise into the air. Explain that the water is still water. It is still made up of the same chemical properties h20 only the form has changes. As the water cools down again, the particles with come together as a liquid again; just as water droplets form on the surface of a cold window in winter or a cool glass or water. Condensation is simply water molecules cooling back down; the space between the particles becomes smaller and the particles begin to move slower. This is called a physical change because water can change from liquid to ice to vapour and still the water under a microscope will look the same. In other words, (show an H20 diagram) the chemicals that make up water stay the same. However, sometimes with matter a reaction can occur and a new substance is formed and this is called a chemical change. A chemical change happens when a new substance is formed and can’t be changed back into it’s original state. For example baking a cake. We cannot unbake a cake. The chemical properties of the ingredients mix together to form new molecules, which cannot be reversed. Tonight brainstorm and start thinking about what items you use throughout he night and whether they are solids, liquids or gasses.  Start thinking about chemical and physical changes in matter. What examples of matter can change states while still having the same physical properties and what are some examples of irreversible changes that can be made to matter.
Assessment: Formative -Students will make a chart of the three states of matter, (Solids, Liquids, Gases) and give one example of each as well as list the properties of each state. They will draw a picture of water in each state of matter and highlight what the molecules would look like under a microscope. They will explain how heat  causes the water to change states. Formative assessment. This assessment will let the teacher know whether the children understand the concept and if they can move on to the next topic.	Accounting For Learning Diversity: -  Using a video with audio is a great way to help reach the audio and visual learners in the class. The video contextualizes the material, which the teacher has presented. -  Using the physical example of the ice cube will help the kinesthetic learners grasp the concept as well. -  The teacher should also account for any other diversities such as a student with ADD who may have trouble focusing. The teacher might have the student fill out corresponding worksheet while teaching the lesson or watching the video. - A students with learning difficulties might be given a handout which is already filled out so that they can focus on the material if writing is not a strong point.
Personal Reflection:  For post teaching. It is important to reflect of how the lesson goes and especially how the media was received.