Photosynthesis

Student work

Grade Level and General Ability of Students:
This lesson was implemented at Hamilton Elementary School in Miss Cowell’s fourth/fifth grade special education classroom.  Miss Cowell’s class consists of six students, 4 boys and 2 girls.  All students in this class have an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) and are diagnosed as Emotionally Disturbed.  The performance levels of the students range in academic ability from developing to proficient, to distinguishing levels.  Many different modifications are made to meet the different needs of the students in the classroom.  There is one fifth grade student and five fourth grade students.  One fourth grader only reads at a level E, first grade level, so therefore it is difficult for him to participate in grade level group readings.  For reading instruction he goes to the second/third grade special education classroom and has a lesson each day with their level D reader.  Another student has focusing problems and will continually be looking behind her.  Her desk was moved to the back of the room, right in front of the teachers’ desk so she is closer to the teacher making it easier to quietly remind her of her tasks. 

Graphic Summary Displaying Levels of Student Achievement at the Distinguished, Proficient, and Developing Levels:

Distinguished	Brian
Proficient	Michael, Isaiah, Zachary
Developing	Felicity, Caitlyn

Graphic Summary of Pre/post Class Scores:

Student Name	Pre Assessment	Post Assessment
Brian	1	3
Michael	1	2
Isaiah	1	2
Zachary	1	2
Felicity	1	1
Caitlyn	1	1

I didn’t give a formal pre-assessment for this lesson, but from the discussion I had with the students during the anticipatory set I learned that the students didn’t know much about photosynthesis.  They could tell me that plants need water, but didn’t know what plants used for food or how they got it.  Students also knew that plants “sucked” water up through their roots.  This was the only information the students knew, all other information presented to students was new to them.  Therefore, for the pre-assessment scores I gave all students a 1 because they were able to name one thing a plant needs to survive and how the plant gets that item. 

Distinguished:
The student work that was labeled distinguished had completed all the activities.  The student also wrote a paragraph about photosynthesis that received a three or four when scored using the Photosynthesis Description Rubric.  Student work clearly shows that they understand the material presented in this lesson.

Eample of distingished work.

Proficient:
The students whose work was labeled proficient had completed all the activities but could use some additional instructions in this content area.  The student also wrote a paragraph about photosynthesis that received a two when scored using the Photosynthesis Description Rubric.  The students understood the concepts that were being studied to an extent; but they may need further instruction in a certain area. 

Example of proficient work.

Developing:
The students whose work was labeled developing had struggled completing the activities during this lesson.  The student also wrote a paragraph about photosynthesis that received a one when scored using the Photosynthesis Description Rubric.  The paragraph either wasn’t complete or showed that the student was clearly confused. 

Example of developing work.