In class, we were assigned to complete a lesson plan which was a second one to a unit/grade we were diving deeper into. I decided to complete a lesson plan for 8th-grade science with the topic of Life Science: From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes. For this lesson plan the standard was MS-LS1-5 out of the NGSS – “Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence for how environmental and genetic factors influence the growth of organisms.” I was able to create how students learned this information, and also create differentiated materials for my students. When looking at the Maine Common Core Teaching Standard, I can see that Standard #5 Innovative Application of Content aligns the most with this artifact. The standard states, “The teacher understands how to connect concepts and use differing perspectives to engage learners in critical/creative thinking, and collaborative problem solving related to authentic local and global issues.”
On another note, while I reflect on this artifact that I’ve picked to reflect on, I believe using this artifact will help me in my future when I become a teacher some day. I was able to create a lesson plan and design it any way I wanted, and apply materials in that I knew would benefit students learning. As stated in the previous paragraph, I was also able to create differentiated materials for my students to help meet each one of their needs. I overall believe that completing this assignment it will help contribute to expanding my pedagogical knowledge and increase the chances of me becoming a metacognitive teacher in the future.
